Is High Intensity Interval Training Right for You?

You may have heard a lot of great things about high intensity interval training, but just because it sounds good, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s perfect for your fitness needs. How do you know if this is the right kind of workout strategy for your health and goals?

Your first step should be to speak with your doctor about the type of high intensity interval training you plan to take on. That way, you will be able to know, not only whether or not HIIT is appropriate for your health and fitness level, but you will also be able to get a better idea as to what sorts of workouts you should be doing at the start, if this is indeed right for you.

The style of high intensity interval training is typically considered to be appropriate for the majority of healthy people. The reason is that it isn’t actually a workout unto itself, but is instead a way of exercising that can be applied to practically any sport, from walking to running and from swimming to cycling.

Essentially, HIIT simply means that you’ll surround bursts of extremely intense, rapid exercise with periods of lower-intensity exercises or even complete rest. This makes it an extremely flexible and versatile strategy that can be fit into nearly every type of sport and schedule. This is especially appealing for people who don’t have a lot of time for exercising, as it has been shown to be highly efficient and can cut down on the amount of time required to receive the same level of workout.

There are a long list of different health benefits to sticking with HIIT workout strategies. These include everything from advantages in respiratory and cardiovascular health to improvements in mechanical function and arthritis symptoms. Patients with Parkinson’s or who have suffered strokes can often benefit from exercising this way. Individuals with Type-2 diabetes have been able to improve their blood glucose levels by exercising this way.

The main concern isn’t typically whether or not it is right for you. Instead, it usually has to do with whether or not you have selected the right exercises and intensity for your unique fitness level. After all, it may be appropriate for one person to run as fast as they can for a minute and then walk for another two minutes before starting again, but that could be too much for someone who has been little more than sedentary for quite some time. Instead, that person may find it more appropriate to walk as fast as they can for a minute before cutting back to a stroll for two minutes.